Switch-operating device.



E. VON BUHLKE. SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1913.

Patented Aug. 4 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOYO-LITNO, WASHING TON. 04 C,

E. VON BUHLKE. SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION IILBD MAY 28, 1913.

1 ,1106,274, Patented Aug. 4, 1914,

2 SHBETS-SHEET Z.

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Iuumm:

YNE NORRIS PITIRS CO.. PNOTD-LITHO.. WASHINGYON Dv C.

UNITED STATES Pn TENT OFFICE.

ERNST VON BCiI-ILKE, OF LEMBERG', AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST voN BoilLiui, residing at Tarnowskiegostrasse 30, Lemberg, Austria-I-Iungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is an automatic pointsetting apparatus for railways and tramways, which is automatically set in operation by the trams, trains or other vehicles when the points are set in the required direction; thus enablingthe railway train tramway car or the like, after having passed the points, to witch same over to the opposite direction on the same route.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into practice reference may be had to the appended explanatory sheet of drawings upon which Figure 1 represents a plan view of the point-setting device. Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 a side elevation of the same. Figs- 4 and 5 sections along the line A.B. and A.B. of Figs. 2 and 8, with a different adjustment of the point. Fig. 6 represents the device in detail. Figs. 7 and S are a side elevation and a front elevation of the member required on the vehicles for the adjustment of the point.

The actual point consists of the track rails l and 2, and the tongue-shaped points 3 and 1 appertaining thereto. The tongue-shaped points are oined together by means of a bar 5 in the known manner, which bar receives the movement of the points by means of a slide 6, one end of which engages a spring 7, the other end of the slide (5 being provided with a slot 8. WVithin this slot the slide 6 incloses a block, which is formed of two flaps 9 and 10, and which is contained in a casing 11, so that it can effect a vertical as well as a slight horizontal movement in the direction of the rail. The flap 9 develops at its upper inclined extremity a wedge-shaped or inclined surface 12, which begins to take form above the upper edge of the rail, while the flap 10 is provided with a notch 13 and a slot 14: which latter is limited or provided in one place with an inclined surface 15. The blockis supported by a spring 16 and is moreover affected by the operation of a spring 17 disposed on the flap 9, which spring 17 serves the purpose of Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Application filed May 28, 1913.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914. Serial No. 770,470.

pressing the block toward the left. The extremity of an arm 18 of a double lever also comes into contact with the block, which arm 18 is movable in a bearing 19 while the other arm 20 of the double lever is provided with a releasingstop 21 of which the upper surface 22 is inclined, this releasing-sto 21 being at a'greater distance from the sliding axle than the inclined surface 12, of the block. The double lever is held in its normal position by the operation of a spring 23. On the exterior and at the side of the flap 9 and the stop 21 are dis posed deflectors, which are composed of two angularly disposed arms 2 1 and 25 which are revoluble on a vertical axle 26, and which may be held in their normal position by means of spring 27 and stops, this normal position being as shown in Fig. 1.

For the operation of the points, the apparatus illustrated, by way of example, in Figs. 7 and 8 is employed, which is fitted to the front left wheel of the en ine and to the back left wheel of the engine as also to the back left wheel of the last carriage in the case of railway trains, while in the case of tramways a similar fitting is adapted to the front and back axle of the tram. On the axle-hub 28 or any other suitable part of the carriage or other vehicle frame, a pressureblock 29 is fitted, which is attached to bolts 30, which are carried in a detachable and displaceable manner in the guides 31 provided on the axle-hub, etc., and which are held in their normal position (see Fig. 8) by means of a spring 32. The blocks 9 and 21. are arranged upon the same side of the rail 1, one closer to said rail than the other. The inclined face .12 of the block 9 protrudes into the path of the pressure block 29 at the front of the train or car and the inclined face 22 of the block 21 into the path of the pressure block 29 at the rear end of the train or car.

The point-setting device described in the foregoing is operated in the following manner: Let it be supposed that a railway train or a tram is moving from right to left, then the pressureblock 29 of the front left wheel which is provided with the apparatus in accordance with Figs. 7 and 8 comes into con tact with the inclined surface 12 of the block, and on further movement presses the block down until, upon compression of the spring 16, it arrives at the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5. During the downward movement of the block, the inclined surface 15 of the slot 14:, pushes the slide 6 against the action of the spring 7, (which in Fig. 4 is toward the right), so that the point is opened and the car can travel inthe direction from right to left (Fig. 1). In this position the point is secured, in that the block arrives with its notch 13 under the slide 6 (Fig. 3) being pressed slightly to the left by the spring 17. The slide 6 in this manner prevents the up ward motion of the block. As soon as the last axle has passed over the extremity of the point, whereby the pressure-block 29 connected thereto passes out onto the inclined surface 12 or the casing inclosing the said inclined surface, without obstruction, this pressure-block comes in line with the inclined surface 22 of the releasing stop 21, presses the latter against the action of the spring 28 and downward thus operating the lever arms 20 and 18. The extremity of the lever-arm 18 as a result of its movement pushes the block under the compression of the spring 17 slightly to the right, until. the notch 13 of the slide 6 is released and the block is raised by the spring 16. During the upward motion of the block, the slide 6 by sliding along the inclined surface 15 through the action of spring 7 is brought once more into its original position (Figs. 1 and a and the point is closed, so that a car can travel out to the right from a curved track. When the pressure-blocks have slipped off the inclined surfaces 12 and 22, they turn aside the deflectors 24 and 25, which then regain their normal position by means of the spring appertaining thereto. According to the apparatus described, it is also possible for the car to travel from left to right on a straight track without the pressure-blocks being brought into further operation by so doing. If for instance the pressure block 29 (which formerly was the pressure block at the rear end of a train or car, and which is now at the head of the same), is approaching the block 21, it will engage the wedge-shaped arm 24 and will be displaced toward the outside and thus will pass this block while its spring 32 is tensioned or contracted. After the passage of said arm 24 and of the member 25, the spring 32, will expand and return the pressure block into its normal position. In a similar manner the pressure block 29 at the rear end of the train or car, after passing the space between block 21 and the rail 1 will be deflected by a deflector 2 1, 25 in the same manner as the block 29 was displaced while passing the block 21, and the switch will be thrown or cut open by the flanges of the car wheel in the well known manner.

The point claimed in this invention can be employed with suitable provision both for railway trains and also for street trams, in that the members which serve to adjust the tongue-shaped point can be modified and made suitable to individual circumstances and requirements.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Switch operating device of the character described, comprising a spring controlled slide carrying the coupled switch points, and provided with a slot, vertically and horizon tally displaceable means at one side of the track within said slot, adapted to be operated by the head of a train for throwing said switch, means for locking the switch in its thrown position, and means for releasing said switch adapted to be operated by the rear end of a train.

2. Switch operating device of the character described, comprising a spring controlled slide carrying the coupled switch points, and

provided with a slot, a vertically and horizontally displaceable block at one side of the track within the slot of said slide having an inclined upper face and a shoulder provided with a slot having an inclined face for operatively engaging said slide, means for allowing an elastic displacement of said block in horizontal and vertical direction, said inclined face being adapted to be engaged by an actuating member at the head of a train for throwing the switch, means for locking the switch in its thrown position, and means for releasing said switch adapted to be operated by an actuating member at the rear of the same train.

3. Switch operating device of the character described, comprising a spring controlled slide carrying the coupled switch points, and provided with a slot, a vertically and horizontally displaceable block at one side of the track within the slot of said slide having an inclined upper face and a shoulder provided with a slot having an inclined face for operatively engaging said slide, means for allowing an elastic displacement of said block in horizontal and Vertical direction, said inclined face being adapted to be engaged by an actuating member at the head of a train for throwing the switch, a notch in said block adapted to engage said slide for locking the switch in its thrown position and a second block at the same side of the track but at a greater distance from the same than said first named block, having an inclined upper face, means block and connected to said second block adapted to be operated by the operation of said second block through the actuating member upon the rear end of a train for releasing said switch.

4:. A switchoperating device of the character described, comprising a spring controlled slide carrying the switch points and provided with a slot, vertically and horizontally displaceable means in juxtaposition to engaging said first named the track within said slot, adapted to be operated by actuating organs at the head of a train traveling in one direction for throw ing said switch, means for locking the switch in its thrown position, means for releasing said switch adapted to be operated by actuating organs at the rear of the same train, and deflectors juxtaposed to said switch throwing and releasing means for throwing the actuating organs at the head and rear end of a train out of operation during the travel of said train in the opposite direction upon the main line when the wheel flanges,

serve as switch point operating means, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, two movable blocks adapted to be operated by actuating organs at the head and rear end of a train, in juxtaposition to the track, one of said blocks closer to said track than the other, springs for elastically supporting said block and allowing a movement of the same in vertical direction, a spring secured to one of said blocks for elastically displacing the same in horizontal direction, a bell crank lever connecting both blocks for releasing the block operated by the actuating organ at the head of the train upon its operation by the actuating member at the rear end of the train, means for throwing the switch upon the operation of one of said blocks and for locking the same in its thrown position, and

means for unlocking and returning said switch into its normal position upon the operation of the second of said blocks, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of switch operating, locking and releasing means in juxtaposition to a track, however at varying distances from the same, with spring controlled actuating organs at the head and rear end of a train respectively, for operating and locking the switch by the actuating organs at the head of a train and for unlocking and returning said switch into its normal position by the actuating organ at the rear end of the train traveling in one direction, deflectors laterally dis osed to said switch operating, looking and releasing means adapted to be operated by said actuating organs, laterally displacing said actuating organs against the action of their springs to prevent the operation of the switch throwing, locking and re leasing means, upon the travel of the train in the opposite direction, while the wheel flanges serve to cut the switch open, said actuating organs being adapted to return into their normal position upon the expansion of the spring after passing said switch operating, locking and releasing means, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNST VON BOI-ILKE. Witnesses:

FRAUNER KARL, AUGUST Fneene.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

